System for treating skin wounds, bandaging and biochemical activation equipment for employing this system

ABSTRACT

The present invention concerns a system for dermatologic treatment comprising an energy source for activating a biochemical healing effect and at least one bandage meant to be placed on or near the area being treated before applying the activation step using the said energy source characterized in that the bandage comprises an identification means ( 4, 5, 10, 11 ) interacting with a sensor controlling the functioning of the energy source.

The present invention relates to the repair of skin wounds.

Various solutions are known in the prior art, consisting of improvingthe suture and healing process by using an external energy source. Thelips of the wound are brought together and held in place by a dressing,which may include active ingredients that are activatable by theexternal energy source.

International patent application WO9717025 describes a treatment processconsisting of affixing a cross-linked material containing anon-collagenous protein component onto a tissue. This cross-linkedmaterial is first placed on a target location on the tissue, and energyis then applied to the cross-linked material. The non-collagenousprotein component is such that when energy is applied in an appropriatequantity, the matrix adheres to the tissue.

European patent application EP265470 describes a device for uniting thelips of a wound, comprising a laser whose emission wavelength is chosensuch that it can perform tissue bonding and unite the lips of the wound,and a holding piece suitable for being secured to the tissue around thewound so as to hold the lips of said wound in contact, at least whilethe wound is exposed to said laser radiation. The holding piece includesat least one region suitable for being positioned over the wound andsufficiently transparent at the wavelength of laser radiation for theenergy of said radiation to be sufficient, after it has passed throughsaid region, to perform the desired tissue bonding.

The use of activation devices such as a laser source is not withoutdanger and handling such apparatus may cause accidents if the beam isinadvertently directed towards the eye of a person near the operatingarea.

The aim of the present invention is to avoid such disadvantages in theprior art.

To this end, in its most general form, the invention relates to a skinwound treatment system comprising an energy source for activating abiochemical effect and at least one dressing designed to be affixed onor close to the wound before the activation stage is performed usingsaid energy source, characterised in that said dressing includes a meansof identification that interacts with a sensor that controls theoperation of the energy source.

The applications of the invention mainly relate to wound treatment, butalso to the field of cosmetic dermatology, with applications such asdermabrasion or laser peeling. The biochemical effect is, in particular,a wound closure effect.

In a preferred variant, the energy source consists of a laser source.

In a first embodiment, the identification means consists of at least oneconductive track running the length of said dressing.

In a second embodiment, the dressing is at least partially conductive toform said identification means.

In a preferred embodiment, the identification means consists of twoparallel conductive strips running the length of said dressing. Inanother embodiment, the parallel strips are connected to one another bya conductive track or by means of an electronic memory device containingthe identification information. In another embodiment, the twoconductive tracks are connected by an electronic memory device in theform of an electronic chip, containing information about the dressingand the firing sequence. This information is read via the two conductivestrips.

Advantageously, the identification means consists of a conductive striprunning the length of said dressing and a second parallel strip whereinconductive sections are alternated with insulated sections. In anotherembodiment, the conductive sections may be connected to the conductivestrip either directly or via a memory device.

Preferably, the operating settings of the energy source are controlledaccording to said identifications means.

The invention also provides a dressing for use with such a system,characterised in that it includes a means of identification consistingof at least one conductive strip.

The invention also provides a biochemical activation device for use withsuch a system, characterised in that it includes an energy sourcecontrolled by a calculator that receives a signal from a sensor suitablefor interacting with the identification means incorporated in adressing.

The invention will best be understood by reading the followingdescription and referring to the appended illustration, which provides aschematic view of a device as claimed by the invention.

The dressing (1) is formed by a transparent film as described inEuropean patent application EP265470. Dressing (1) presents twoconductive strips (4, 5) placed either side of a centre line (6).

It works in cooperation with a laser source (2) controlled by a controlunit (3) that supplies power to and controls the laser source. The unitpresents extensions (7, 8) whose ends are conductive and which enablethe activation system to interact with the conductive tracks (4, 5).

This information can be used to optimise the settings of the associatedenergy source, in particular the power, duration and frequency of thepulses.

Activation of the laser is dependent on a contact being made betweenconductive tracks (4, 5) and the ends of extensions (7, 8). If such asignal is not detected, the laser is on standby and thus prevents anyrisk of accident, even when inadvertently directed towards a person.

FIG. 2 shows a variant embodiment of the dressing. The dressingpresents, on either side of the centre line (6), a first continuousconductive track (10) and a second track (11) with conductive zones (12)alternating with insulated zones (13).

The alternation between conductive zones (12) and insulated zones (13)is used to control the laser operating settings, for instance periodicalactivation and deactivation for an operating method involving bursts, orcoding for operation according to different dressing types. In thelatter case, the alternation between conductive zones (12) and insulatedzones (13) constitutes a coding for the dressing type. An initial scanwith handpiece (2) is used to identify the dressing and to determine theoperating settings accordingly.

Said settings are recorded in the memory of the laser control unit, forinstance in the form of a table. These settings may be updated,particularly in the event that a new type of dressing is marketed, via alink with an external computerised device, or by data entry using aninput interface incorporated in control unit (3).

In another equivalent variant, the interaction may take place by meansof an optical marking, for instance a fluorescent marking, excited by asecondary source fitted in the handpiece. The handpiece in this caseincludes an optical sensor, for instance a sensor including a CCD(charge-coupled device) associated with a calculator that analyses theimage detected in order to calculate the distance and possibly theorientation of the handpiece with respect to the marking on thedressing. This marking may take the form of a matrix code or geometricalfigures by which the distance may be deduced on the basis of the sizeand deformation of the image, as detected by the sensor in thehandpiece.

The dressing may consist of a simple transparent film, by which the lipsof the wounds are brought together and temporarily held in place and bywhich the energy provided by the handpiece can be transferred. It mayalso consist of an opaque film with a transparent window running thelength of the centre line (6).

It may also include active coatings involved in the biochemicalreactions under the effect of excitation by an energy source.

The energy source described is a laser beam. However, other equivalentenergy sources such as ultrasound, radio-frequency electromagnetic wavesor a thermal source may be used and would constitute a technicalequivalent. Nevertheless, a laser source remains the preferred solution.

1. A dermatological treatment system comprising an energy source for activating a biochemical effect and at least one dressing designed to be affixed to the wound before the activation stage is performed using the energy source, wherein the at least one dressing includes a means of identification that interacts with a sensor that controls the operation of the energy source.
 2. The dermatological treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the energy source consists of a laser source.
 3. The dermatological treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the identification means consists of at least one conductive track running the length of said dressing.
 4. The dermatological treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the dressing is at least partially conductive to form the identification means.
 5. The dermatological treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the identification means consists of two parallel conductive strips forming conductive sections and running the length of the dressing.
 6. The wound treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the identification means consists of one conductive strip running the length of the dressing and a second parallel strip, wherein the strips form conductive sections which are alternated with insulated sections.
 7. The dermatological treatment system according to claim 5, wherein the conductive sections are connected by means of a conductive component.
 8. The wound treatment system according to claim 5, wherein the conductive sections are connected to one another by means of an electronic memory device containing identification information.
 9. The dermatological treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the identification means contains information regarding settings, whereby said information is used by the system to determine the operating settings of the energy source.
 10. A dressing for use with the system of claim 1, wherein the dressing includes an identification means consisting of at least one conductive strip.
 11. A biochemical activation device for use with the system of claim 1, wherein the biochemical activation device includes an energy source controlled by a calculator that receives a signal via a sensor suitable for interacting with the identification means incorporated in a dressing.
 12. The dermatological treatment system according to claim 6, wherein the conductive sections are connected by means of a conductive component.
 13. The wound treatment system according to claim 6, wherein the conductive sections are connected to one another by means of an electronic memory device containing identification information.
 14. The wound treatment system according to claim 7, wherein the conductive sections are connected to one another by means of an electronic memory device containing identification information.
 15. A biochemical activation device for use with the system of claim 7, wherein the biochemical activation device includes an energy source controlled by a calculator that receives a signal via a sensor suitable for interacting with the identification means incorporated in a dressing. 